Shattered Earth

The gods are gone, the earth is broken, but you remain.

Haven Alliance

The Haven Alliance is a single political entity formed by the alliance of four shattered islands: Haven City, Coyn, Minos and Baobab. The Alliance is currently a democratic oligarchy, with a council half represented by guild representatives chosen form the guilds, and district-based representatives. The council maintains basic city services, including the disbursement of “Life Necessary Goods.” Also, the Adventurer Society reports directly to the Haven Council.

Governance

Haven Council

The Haven Council is made up of two bodies, the Guild Council and the Commons. The Guild Council is made up of electors form the 9 most profitable guilds or trade consortiums. The Commons is made up of elected members, based on population — Baobab has one member, Coyn and Minos 3 each, and ten from Haven City. Most of the power lies in the Guild Council who have the ability to appoint judges, and all legislation originates with them, although the Commons can alter and must pass any legislation before it becomes law.

The current Guild Council representatives are from the following guilds:

The first five are almost always represented, but as the final three are coalition groups, their factions change with time. The disparity of elected representation is justified by population, and the fact that the Farmers, Crystal Miners and Druids are almost wholly from Coyn, Minos and Baobab, respectfully.

While the guilds choose their representative by whatever method in their guild charters, the elected representatives are Citizens and only Citizens may vote.

Citizenry

Haven doesn’t keep a regular army, as there is really no outside force to fight against. That might change, so each Citizen is required to go through the Adventurer’s service. They make up the basic law enforcement and guard, and deal with special problems as they arise. As a result, all the voting Citizens of the Haven Alliance have character levels, and are skilled in an adventuring class.

In order to join the Adventurer’s service, a person must be sponsored. Usually this is a parent, Master, or other individual, although some self-sponsor later in life. Service is sometimes mandated by the courts, as community service, but that is for a required two year term — and usually for the more difficult/dangerous jobs. Scholarships for the poor have been suggested, but largely dissuaded by the Guild lobby.

Charter

The founding of Haven Alliance, and the aid offered by Petricalifax, the Alliance is required to offer ‘everything required for Life’ to the people who seek shelter there. Under the current government, that means everyone, Citizen or not, gets food, shelter, water, and (very) basic clothing and medical care. Citizens are entitled to slightly better shelter, food and medical care. Often they get this by virtue of their adventuring levels or guild associations as well.

There is some pressure on the council to limit the requirement to only Citizens, countered by others who want to force all residents to join the Adventurer’s League. Some of this is racially motivated from the old morality. Currently this is a stalemate, but there’s concern that Coyn may not be able to produce enough food, nor Baobab enough water if the population continues to expand.

Religion

While the gods are gone, reaction to their absence has been mixed. In the days before the Shattering people called on gods which did respond to them, and showed absolute proof of their existence. Now that they don’t respond, most believe that they are gone, while others believe they may have never existed. Scholars in the Casters’ Guild talk about the way that gravity and magic have changed (particularly for Divine Magic) and say that something must have changed, and that the absence of the Gods sufficiently explains it. Others have differing beliefs, and as the hypothesis isn’t really testable, it’s more a matter of religion and philosophy.

While most denizens (Citizen and otherwise) subscribe to the idea of abandonment by the gods, others have different explanations. Some think think that the gods are still there, but ignoring us— either having judged them unworthy, or asking them to believe despite the lack of concrete evidence. Some people are forming a type of ancestor worship, since ghosts and spirits are more common now. Others are worshiping Petricalifax since she saved everyone, and she isn’t dissuading them. Still others believe that the gods were always a lie, and that the changes in magic and gravity have a strong tie to the Shattering of the Earth.